


In a Moment Freed

by lostmagician



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Elevators, Fix-It, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 14:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21120596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostmagician/pseuds/lostmagician
Summary: Daniel turned to him slowly, and Johnny's entire body tensed. His eyes snapped up to Daniel, he had that puppy dog look on his face, crease between his eyebrows and sympathetic curl to his lips. He bared his teeth, daring Daniel to say a word. If he saidone word-“Hey,” Daniel said softly, and his fingers grazed Johnny’s elbow, a fleeting touch that shattered all the self-control he had left.(AU from episode 2.10)





	In a Moment Freed

“- I’ll come by the dojo after school. My mom’s working tonight, so maybe we can grab a burger at that place you like? I’ll talk to you later.”

Johnny’s face contorted in anguish, as he lowered his phone. He approached the door, his vision blurring as he watched Miguel through the glass window. The sight of him on the hospital bed was enough to break even the strongest man: thick brace around his neck, tubes sticking in and out his nose. Carmen said that it had been Robby who’d pushed him off the ramp. His own son, his flesh and blood. The revelation had sent him reeling, he'd never thought that Robby was capable of such a thing.

He looked around, suddenly hating everything about this place, from the fluorescent lights to the white linoleum floors. Fear and anger tangled up inside of him, making him feel like he was barely hanging on by a thread. But even stronger than this cocktail of emotions was a self-loathing so intense that it made him want to drink himself to an early grave.

It's all he could think about as he stepped into the elevator, silver walls reflecting the light from the ceiling. He pressed on the first floor, heart hammering in his throat, but just as the door was about to close, a figure appeared at the entrance.

It was Daniel. Johnny gritted his teeth at the sight of him. He'd heard about Samantha, and how she'd played a big part in the fight. It explained why Daniel looked so run-down with his pale skin and bloodshot eyes.

They stared at each other for a while, Daniel letting out a small sigh before he walked in and stood next to him.

The doors closed and then they were alone. Johnny clenched his fists, hoping that Daniel wouldn't say anything. He didn't think he could handle it. He just wanted to get to the car; there was a bottle of scotch in the trunk, waiting for him to drown his sorrows. He watched the screen as the elevator descended, it was just two floors, and then suddenly Daniel was jamming his finger on the stop button.

The elevator jerked to a halt, and Johnny staggered a little. Daniel turned to him slowly, and Johnny's entire body tensed. His eyes snapped up to Daniel, he had that puppy dog look on his face, crease between his eyebrows and sympathetic curl to his lips. He bared his teeth, daring Daniel to say a word. If he said _one word -_

“Hey,” Daniel said softly, and his fingers grazed Johnny’s elbow, a fleeting touch that shattered all the self-control he had left.

Johnny punched him. He caught the hard angle of his jaw and was about to strike again, but Daniel regained his composure quicker than he expected, blocking him and delivering an elbow to his cheek. Pain flared in his jaw, and then Daniel was shoving him back.

He grunted as his head connected with the paneled wall, stars bursting behind his eyelids. He blinked hard, trying to take stock of the situation. He could taste blood on the back of his tongue, and Daniel was pressing his forearm against his upper chest. His lips were moving, but Johnny couldn’t hear him over the rush of blood to his ears.

“- trying to help you,” Daniel’s voice pierced through the fog.

Johnny head-butted him in the face, Daniel stumbled back and fell on his ass in a corner of the elevator, his long legs splayed in front of him. Johnny's nostrils flared as he got down on one knee and grabbed Daniel by the front of his shirt.

“You can’t help me, asshole. If Miguel dies, it's because of _me,_” Johnny said, and he hated the way his voice broke, the way the words tore out of his throat like jagged blades. “Do you have _any_ idea how that feels?”

If anything, the lines in Daniel's forehead furrowed deeper. There was still a dazed look in his eyes, like he hadn't fully recovered from the blow to the head: it didn't stop the pity from clouding his features. It drove Johnny insane, made him want to knock that ugly expression off his face. He swung his arm back, tightening his fist, ready to strike -

But he couldn't. The tears were already rising in his throat, hot and burning. He swallowed them down, a convulsive flutter that only made them come back stronger.

Daniel’s jaw twitched and then he was lifting his hand once more. Johnny growled in warning, but Daniel didn't back down this time, he tugged him by the elbow, an insistent pull that drew him closer.

Johnny wanted to fight him, he wanted to scream_ Don't fucking touch me LaRusso_, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out of him was a strangled sound. He toppled over like a felled tree, panting heavily as he tried to hold back the tears; they seared the back of his eyelids like acid.

Daniel's arms wrapped around him tightly, and that's all it took for the dam to break. Johnny ground his teeth together, but the sob still managed to escape him. He buried his face in Daniel's shoulder, chest heaving with every cry that ripped out of his throat.

And then Daniel was making a low shushing sound, and if it was any other time, Johnny would have _clocked_ him - but instead, his entire body shuddered, a head-to-toe tremor that made him squeeze his eyes shut and wrench Daniel closer. A hand traveled up his back and settled on the back of his neck, quick to soothe him.

“Robby was my student,” Daniel said, and Johnny could hear the tremble in his voice. “How do you think I feel?”

Johnny’s stomach tightened, as he choked on his tears. They stayed like that for a while, Johnny trying to hold back every sob and failing, while Daniel comforted him.

When his cries finally tapered off down to hitches and hiccups, it was like all the energy had been drained from his body. Daniel released him and pushed him back slowly with a hand on his shoulder. Johnny sniffed and wiped his nose with his wrist, his limbs feeling floppy with exhaustion. He looked up at Daniel.

The other man had always been thin-skinned and reckless, it was how Johnny remembered him from thirty years ago. But now as they faced each other, it seemed like all his defenses had fallen.

“We can't go on like this,” Daniel said, his red-rimmed eyes glistening with sadness. “Promise me that once we get through this, we drop all this bullshit childhood rivalry. It’s not _worth_ our students dying over.”

At that moment, they heard a loud banging sound. “Is anybody there?” a woman called out. Johnny's head snapped up in direction of the voice. “If there is, don't worry. We called a technician, they're on their way.”

Daniel shook him. “_Say_ it, Johnny,” and now there was a sense of urgency in his voice. “I need you to say it.”

Johnny's eyes dropped to the floor, ashamed to admit that Daniel was right - he was so fucking right. None of this would have happened if they had just forgiven and forgotten. He wiped his face again - his cheeks were_ burning_, like every tear had left a fiery trail in his skin - and peered up into Daniel's dark eyes.

He swallowed thickly, throat suddenly parched. But when he answered, there was no hesitation in his voice; his words echoed in the small elevator, marking the beginning of a new chapter, and perhaps even a new friendship.

“I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Because that scene in the elevator left me yearning for more. Couldn't they have just opened up to each other??


End file.
